The Kansas City Chiefs have cut linebacker Josh Mauga and subsequently acquired linebacker Reggie Ragland from the Buffalo Bills via trade. The Chiefs sent their 2019 fourth round pick to the Bills for Ragland. Mauga was a 30 game starter for the Chiefs over the 2014 and 2015 season. He was brought back this offseason after not landing elsewhere in the NFL. Ragland was the Bills 2016 second round pick, but suffered a torn ACL that kept him out of his rookie campaign.
Kansas City Chiefs Trade for Reggie Ragland, Cut Josh Mauga
Searching for depth in their linebacker corps, the Chiefs re-signed veteran Mauga on July 7. However, today he was released after failing to live up to his role; his performance in the pre-season was neither impressive or disappointing.
The Chiefs turned their eyes elsewhere to acquire former Alabama inside linebacker Ragland from the Buffalo Bills. The Bills drafted Ragland with the 41st pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, Ragland tore his ACL on August 5, 2016 and failed to play for the Bills in his rookie season.
Looking to resurrect opportunity, Ragland will take his talents to the Chiefs. Coming out of Alabama, Ragland was one of the highest regarded linebackers in the 2016 draft class. Ragland was the third Alabama player to earn unanimous All-American achievements, playing a violent kind of football in both pass and rush defense.
While the Bills were excited about the All-American potential, reports surfaced regarding the concerns the coaching staff had for his knee. Ragland was falling in the depth chart, leading to defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier commenting that, “… It’s just a matter of time before he can get that burst back that we like to see.”
Ragland joins wide receiver Sammy Watkins, cornerback Ronald Darby, and quarterback Cardale Jones as the crew of Bills players being traded elsewhere.
If Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and athletic trainer Rick Burkholder can unlock the potential in Ragland, the Chiefs may have found a sleeper player to play an important part in one of the NFL’s most explosive linebacker corps.
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